Oatmeal

Plain oatmeal has to be one of the blandest breakfast choices I can think of. Sometimes I need just that, other times I want more flavors, more textures, and more nutrition for my first meal of the day. I add proteins like nuts, seeds or dairy, and use dried, frozen or fresh fruits as sweeteners instead of sugars or honey. Doing this may add calories, but oatmeal will become more of a complete meal and will scoot lower on the glycemic index. For this reason, unless I’m in the mood to eat something super bland, I like to think of oatmeal as the perfect canvass to add delicious and healthy tastes to. See below to get some ideas to add to your oatmeal.

Yogurt: Creamy and tangy, yogurt is a digestive aid as well as a great source of protein. Be sure to buy plain yogurt without added sugars.

If you’re pressed for time in the mornings, soak your oats in the water the night before and just heat them through for your breakfast.

The glycemic index is an indicator 1-100 of the level to which your blood glucose rises after consuming a particular food. The higher the number on the GI, the faster glucose from the food gets into the blood stream. For example, pure glucose has a value of 100, white rice averages 89, and brown rice 55, hummus 7. A simple rule of thumb is that whole foods like oatmeal, brown rice, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables, are processed far slower by the body than refined foods like white bread, white rice, and white flour products like pasta, cakes and cookies.